Day 31- My best bit of 2014

Time spent with my favorite people is the best bit of the year!

Days 27, 28, and 29

Day 27 - I like

I thought these baby shoes at the Christkindlmarkt in Innsbruck, Austria were adorable. 

Day 28 - A book

Goldilocks along Fairy Tale Alley in Innsbruck, Austria

 Day 29 - I need less of this

I love snow. I love travel. I do not love travelling in snow.  After 2 days of driving in snow in this van, I need less car time!

Day 25 and Day 26

Day 25 - Celebrate

When I look out at this beautiful creation in all its grandeur, it really strikes me that the love of God who is mighty enough to create all of this took on the form of a helpless human babe whose birth we celebrate today.


Day 26 - Animal

With about 10 inches on the ground and 8 hours of continuous snow, not a lot of animal life to find today so I had to dig up one from the past.

Day 24 - Color

Sunset over the Alps

He's a good son

In spite of all the torment he takes from his friends over my blog and his name here, Frog was still willing to let me take this photo.  We were standing outside a shop waiting for the others to come out when I realized what he was standing under and just couldn't resist.  Froschkonig is German for Frog Prince.

Day 23 - Tree

This Swarovski cyrstal tree stands majestically over the Christkindlmarkt in Innsbruck, Austria.

Day 22 - Tis the Season to..

Drink gluhwein with the one you love

Playing Catch up on Photos

Day 18 - Sign

Not a sign I would want to come across !  From the Duxford Imperial War Museum Battle of Britain display

 Day 19 - Something to be happy about 

My chickies all arrived in time to see the pantomine - Cinderella. I would have two photos of this day except that each photo I took of the row in front of this one has at least one subject who would protest my posting it.

Day 20 - Food

Even my bread was bubbling over with anticipation awaiting the arrival of my chickies! 

Day 21 - This is Interesting

I knew Jimmy Stewart had taken time out of his acting career to serve in the military, I did not know to what extent or what honors he was awarded.  The man was definitely a class act through and through. 

Day 17 - Sunshine

 Sunshine on a "scorching" (yes the weather forecaster actually used that term for a 50 degree temp) day in December.

Day 16 - Beautiful

I've been so busy today getting ready  for the arrival of the rest of my beautiful chicks that I haven't gotten out the camera, so I'm pulling up this photo of my beautiful Sunshine and Sweetness in beautiful Northern Ireland.

Day 15 - Super!

Today's word is super.  For me it has two ways of looking at things.

Super....sarcastic..as in, isn't it just super that my dishwasher is not working properly and everything needs to be washed again by hand when my to do list is a mile long and my chicks are almost back to the nest.

Super...very good or excellent as in it is super to happen now when there will be many hands to make light work when my well-trained and considerate chicks come home.

Day 14 - Drink

Christmas tea from Nancy's.  You can see the little snowflakes that are in the loose tea leaves in the bag. They dissolve.  The tea is also a little sparkly in the cup which you can't see.  Very festive.  Can't wait to share some with Swan and Belle.  I'm sure they are going to love it.

Day 13- Much Loved

My much loved children will be here very soon so I went to the store and purchased their much loved favorite junk foods so I could spoil them just a little (the healthy stuff is already in the freezer.)

Day 12 - Skyline

Skyline from atop l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris

Day 11 - Something Red

Red is my favorite color.  I couldn't resist posting more than one...

No self respecting American living in England can pass up the opportunity for a photo of a red phone booth.

A red door..I told you I liked pictures of doors!

And because this is a monthly challenge of photos during the Christmas season...I took this one specifically for the challenge...a red ornament.  This is one I made a couple years ago for one of my children.

Day 10 - Closed Door

I love taking photos of doors.  I was excited to see this one on the list so I would have an excuse and genuine reason to do so..but alas, schedules and holidays being what they are, I have not found one photo worthy so I am pulling out this old one..which I love everything about.  Its old, its blue, its from a beautiful island in Greece...it's closed so fits the criteria for today's photo...what's not to love?

Day 9 - Decoration

I love the giant ferris wheels and huge Christmas trees that decorate Christmas markets.  This one is from Lille, France.

More than a budget airline

We recently travelled to Romania and flew on one of the so called budget airlines.  Its misnamed...by the time you add all the extra fees you must pay to take your bags, your purse, your clothes (naahh,I'm only teasing about that one..its NOT that bad..but give them time, they'll figure out a way!) its not so "budget" after all.

However, even with all the extra fees, you do get more bang for your buck if you happen to be afraid of flying or are at all claustrophobic.  There is psychological technique called "systematic desensitization" that is used to treat phobias and other extreme or erroneous fears.  A person is exposed to his or her fears and learns to relax in the face of them.  Just think of all that wonderful desensitization training you get being exposed to flying for 3 hours while packed in like a sardine with your knees in your ears, unable to even reach your purse on the floor at your feet without your neighbors adjusting their already contortioned bodies to allow you movement?

For the price of a "budget" airline ticket you get all a psychology treatment AND your reward for making such progress in overcoming you fear is arrival at a great destination! And worst case scenario, you don't overcome your fear and you just have to stay at your destination...best choose wisely where you are heading!

Day 8 - Simple Pleasure

I love my special Chemex coffee MWC prepares for me on Sunday mornings...its a simple pleasure for me...the process is a bit more complicated for him. (I've chosen not to learn because he's so good at it, why mess with perfection?!) 

Day 7 - Weekends are for

Sourdough panckes before heading out to worship services

Day 6 - Joy is

Joy is creating cherished memories and traditions with my family.  

Every year I make ornaments for each of my children.  I love the creative outlet it gives me as well as the memories it creates as they dig through the boxes finding theirs, reminiscing on the years they were made, and the joyous time we have together.  Even when we are not all together for this part of it, I still find great joy in our ornament tradition, thankful for all the years we have been together.

*the little candle ornament is very special to me..my grandmother did the lacing work and a box of them was found in her attic when she moved to assisted living.  I stitched the centers that year, making it an extra special year of ornaments in my opinion.

Little sister loyalty

Now that the card has been shared with our beloved art teacher, I can share this "cute things they say" story about Sunshine.

She created a lovely Christmas card for Ms. L.,  her wonderful art teacher.

Included in her Merry Christmas message?

You're the second best art teacher in the world...I can't say you're the best because my brother is an art teacher and that would be betraying him.

I love it! (and thankfully so did Ms. L!)

Day 5 - Me

No selfies here...just a photo of ME and my brother from back in 1976 in costumes made for us by our grandmother for a bicentennial celebration.

Day 4 Free

Mr. Peacock is free of all those heavy feathers and the girls got some free home decorating accessories to share with me.

Day 3 - Pop!

A box of Christmas crackers just waiting for the party to begin!

New Month- Photos Day One and Two

Well I had so much fun last month playing with my camera and trying new things...and digging up old pictures...that I thought I'd give it a go again.

Day One - Fruit
one of my favorite days of the week...my organic fruit and veggie delivery.

Day Two  - Grass

"Grass" growing on my roof

You know you might be raising seasoned travellers.....

When you encounter this math situation.

Today as I was correcting Sunshine's math, I was surprised at her incorrect answer on one.   She said 3pm, the answer key said 4:30pm.  "Not the first time the answer key has been wrong," I thought so I did some digging...

The math problem:

If it takes Kimberly 1-1/2 hours to get to the airport and park her car, what time does she need to leave if her plane leaves at 6 pm?

Her response to their "correct" answer?

"Well that doesn't leave time for traffic, checking your bags or security!"

Day 30 - I bought this

But only in my dreams...

Its an itty bitty monks bench.  So adorable but MWC played the Scrooge...er I mean Voice of Reason...and insisted we didn't need a second one, no matter how cute, when we already have a normal sized one.

Day 29 - So This Happened

There was once a little boy who didn't think he wanted a little sister....he soon realized just how wrong he was and loves her very much.

Day 28 - Black

A black bike and a black sign on a rainy, gray day in Olney.

Day 27 - I'm thankful for this

Spain, Christmas 2013

I am thankful for the love, fun, travel adventures, laughter and traditions we share as a family.

Day 26 - Wall

Lots of walls...or portions thereof..at Castle Acre Priory

Day 25 - Time

Time to go home after a wonderful day.  Notice the sunset starting in the background....at 3:30pm.

Day 24 - I need to do this

I need to make my to do list for the week

Day 23 - I made this

I made this for MWC for his birthday a few years ago.  The background is a collage of maps of everywhere we have lived over the years...and the city where we got engaged.

Day 22 - A favorite thing

A favorite joke in our family is to figure out who is the favorite child....

with 3 children on another continent, and Sweetness off on her very first youth retreat, Sunshine is experiencing life as an only child for the very first time in her life.  So today, by default, is her day.

Oh yeah.. sucking wind during my water workout..Go me!

I interrupt this string of photos for the month with an actual post to share a personal praise/victory/success story.  Whatever you want to call it.  Drumroll please......

I could hardly catch my breath and could barely carry on a conversation in my deep water workout class today.

No, I'm not crazy.  I know, I know.  MOST people would not celebrate or brag about having such a hard time continuing to exercise and sucking wind during a workout.

However, I am not MOST people.  (no comments from the peanut gallery please!!)

So why am I celebrating?  For the past 10, 15, 20 years??..... I don't know exactly how many because I do not remember when I actually had enough strength in my body (and particularly my knees and legs) to do any workout that enabled me to raise my heart rate so high.  However, today I did. I actually had to tell my body to back off some so I could catch my breath.  In Tuesday's class, I was able to *run* through the water for a length of the pool, without my buoyancy belt.  I didn't break any speed records, but neither did I sink to the bottom.  My legs were strong enough to not only keep me afloat but to also propel me through the water.

First it was 10 pounds and getting into the old jeans.  Now I'm able to get my heart working hard because my legs are so much stronger.  And for me that is worth more celebrating than the 10 pounds and old jeans....well, almost!

Day 21- Shoes

Day 20 - Bright

Belle

Bright, adj.

• quick witted or intelligent
• animated;lively;cheerful
• characterized by happiness or gladness

Day 19 - Whole

Apple cranberry crumble pie - I want to eat the "whole" thing...warm with vanilla ice cream..thank you very much. 

Day 18 - I love this

This is the view from my bathroom window where I stand each morning to brush my teeth. It's beautiful in the summer with flowers blooming and pretty leaf packed green trees.  One might think I'd "love this" more on a summer day but one would not necessarily be right.

Because what I love most about this photo is not what is in it.....but what is NOT...and what I've not seen in a couple months.  This photo is my garden with NO rats in sight.

Day 17 - Cooking

Pumpkin Corn Chowder was obviously a big hit.